A Desert is Like an Ocean
by CellarDoor96
Summary: A desert is like an ocean. It always is changing, yet it is always the same." What happened to Latios between "The Unown Saga" and "Avari's Story"? Companion to "The Unown Saga", but can be read separately. Latios/Flygon. Oneshot.


I do not own Pokemon or the characters' species, but I own the characters.

**A Desert is Like an Ocean**

Latios glanced around his cavern home and sighed. For all the times he'd teased his sister about her and Rayquaza, he'd ended up falling for someone as well. And now, here he was, waiting for her to get back. Outside, a sandstorm raged, which was the reason he wasn't out there looking for her. He knew she navigated in them better, and even thrived in them.

This was because, quite frankly, she was a Flygon. Her name was Aravah, and they had met by accident as he flew over Hoenn. He could still remember the incident like it was yesterday.

_Latios flew over the desert, going no place in particular. But still he wanted to get out of the desert as quickly as possible, before a sandstorm whipped up. It was because of this that he didn't notice the green, also preoccupied figure flying toward him._

_With a thump and cries of surprise, they collided. Small round objects flew everywhere, and they tumbled to the sand. Latios felt the breath knocked from him as he crashed._

_For several moments, he didn't move, stunned, but then he shook his head to clear it and took in the situation. He was on his side on the sand, and on top of him was the other green figure. Glancing at it, Latios realized that it was a Flygon. It blinked, then shook its head._

_The Flygon began to speak in the dragon language, known by all dragon-like Pokemon. By its voice, Latios surmised that it was female. "Ow, I'm sorry, are you hurt?" she muttered. "I didn't mean…"_

_She glanced up at his face, and immediately her own green face turned a few shades paler, and she emitted a strangled noise that was halfway between a gasp and a sob. "Y-you're, um… You're a L-latios!"_

_Latios shifted, and she realized that she was on top of him. Paling further, she immediately jumped off him, landing on the sand next to him, and turned, shaking nervously. Latios righted himself, spitting sand, then watched her curiously as she began to stammer._

_"I-I'm sorry, I'm very sorry, I d-didn't mean to, b-but it was… it was my fault, I should have been… have been w-watching where I was going… I was just… I was g-going back to my, um, my home, with m-my, my uh, berr-ries…" She bent and began to quickly pick up the small round objects she had dropped, which Latios saw were berries. But her claws were shaking so much that she only dropped them again. After a moment, she suddenly stopped and threw herself on the sand in front of Latios._

_"I'm sorry! P-punish me, and then I… I'll get out of your, uh, your, your way. I'm very sorry…" She closed her eyes tightly, her body tensing._

_Latios stared at her for several moments, then asked, "What?"_

_"I-I-I'm, um, ready for my… my p-punishm-ment…"_

_"Why would I punish you?"_

_The Flygon opened her eyes and glanced up at him. "I-it was my fault, I, um, ran into y-y-you."_

_Latios laughed. "No, it was my fault, really."_

_She blinked, then stood up again. "So you aren't going to, um…?"_

_"No. Why would I?"_

_"Well, um, you're a L-latios…"_

_"So?"_

_She fidgeted nervously. "So you're not mad at me?"_

_"No…"_

_"Oh…" She stopped fidgeting and blushed shyly. "Okay." She bent and began to pick up the berries again, having more success now, though Latios noticed that she was still shaking slightly._

_Glancing to one side, Latios also noticed something else. A sandstorm was coming that way. "Um…"_

_The Flygon was startled and jumped, scattering her berries again. "W-what?"_

_Latios motioned at the sandstorm. "I'm going to need to get going now…"_

_She began to pick up the berries again, then stopped and glanced at him. "Um… Do you want to, um, come with me?" She was blushing. "I mean, if you want to… My, um, home is sheltered from the, um, sandstorms, so…"_

_Latios thought for a moment, then nodded, smiling. "Alright. What's your name?"_

_"Aravah…"_

He had begun to visit her home in the desert regularly after that.

Soon, Latios had realized how he felt and told her, and she had told him that she also felt the same way. They were married in the Pokemon fashion, and Latios began to live with Aravah in the desert. She had laid three eggs so far, one was now a Vibrava, one was a baby Trapinch, and one hadn't yet hatched. Latios hoped that the last one would hatch into one of his species, though he wouldn't mind if it was another Trapinch.

In any case, Latios was currently watching the egg while Aravah and their children went to find food. He wished he could go with them, but he knew he would only be torn apart by the sandstorm. So now he was doing what he did when the time came every day.

_What's taking so long, they should be back by now. They've never taken this long before…_ Latios glanced up in surprise as the humming sound of four small wings and the beating of two larger ones reached his hearing. A moment later, Aravah entered the shallow cavern, followed by a Vibrava and Trapinch. The Vibrava was holding a bunch of berries with its insect-like forelegs.

Aravah glanced at Latios, her eyes encased in red goggle-like organs. Then she turned to their children. "Thank you, Calida, Roshan. You can go play with your friends now."

Calida, the Vibrava, smiled and nodded, dropping her load. "Thank you."

Roshan, the Trapinch, immediately ran back out of the cave, followed shortly by his sister.

Once they were gone, Aravah landed and moved to stand in front of Latios. He watched her with mixed emotions. "What's wrong?" she asked softly. "You don't seem to be happy."

Latios smiled. "I am happy, who wouldn't be happy with you?"

Aravah blushed, glancing away shyly. After a moment, she replied, glancing at him. "You're sad about something."

Latios sighed, glancing around the cave and out at the sandstorm outside. "Okay, you're right. I miss my sister, I'm just wondering how she's doing. And I also get a little bored of seeing sand every day. I want to visit other places, too, like an ocean or a forest. No offense."

Aravah was silent for several moments. Finally she replied. "Your sister, Latias?"

Latios nodded. "Yes, I'm worried about her."

Aravah sighed. "If you really want to see her, you can."

Latios frowned. "But will you be alright? I mean, who'll watch the egg while you're foraging—"

Aravah moved a step closer to him and laughed, a rough, scraping, yet melodic sound. "You worry too much. Even though you act like you don't, I can see right through you."

Latios smiled. "Thank you."

Aravah blushed again, glancing at the ground. After a moment, Latios asked a question.

"Why do you live here? In the desert? Why not somewhere else?"

Aravah glanced up at him. "What do you mean?"

"I mean… The desert isn't a very hospitable place, there's barely anything to eat, and almost no water. Why did you choose to live here?"

Aravah looked surprised. "I have always lived here." After a momentary silence, she fixed her gaze on Latios. "What is your idea of a good place to live? A forest, a plain? Even though I could move somewhere else, I will not. Are there not scarcities in any place? Why not live in a desert?"

She moved closer to Latios. "A desert is like…" Aravah struggled to find a suitable simile for a moment. "…like… an ocean. It always is changing, yet it is always the same. Like all living things. Calida changed when she became a Vibrava, yet was she any different?"

Latios didn't know what to say, and after a second Aravah continued. "No. Though the appearance of something may change, like the surface of the desert, stirred by the winds, or the waves of the ocean, it always remains the same in what really matters. This is what the desert has taught me. Do you understand?"

Latios was speechless for a moment. Then he replied thoughtfully, "…Yes. I think I do…"

Aravah became shy again, blushing and turning away. "Okay, good…"

"Aravah?"

She turned back and glanced at him. "Yes, Latios?"

Latios sighed, then asked, "What does that have to do with my question?"

Aravah blinked, then reddened. "Oh. Nothing, I guess."

He nodded. "Yeah."

After a moment, Aravah spoke again. "Well, I guess the ocean and the desert _are_ sort of different, since the ocean supports life while the desert… doesn't as much. But still, does there always have to be a reason? The desert is where I belong."

Latios was silent for several seconds, as Aravah fidgeted shyly. Finally he spoke, saying, "A desert is like an ocean. In some ways, I suppose they are the same, and in other ways they aren't. But if they were the same, things would be more boring." He looked up at Aravah and smiled. "Thanks."

Aravah tilted her head curiously. "For what?"

Latios moved toward her until he was right in front of her, then kissed her. "Many things can thrive in a desert or an ocean; one of them is love."

Aravah blushed, then kissed him back. After a moment, they separated, and she blushed again, glancing away shyly and fidgeting with her tail. "…Thank you. I love you, Latios."

Latios felt his own face turn slightly red. He nuzzled one of her arms, then said softly, "I love you too, Aravah."


End file.
